Epson 3800 4K Projector Review: Better than Buying A Large OLED TV

Epson 3800 4K Projector weighs just over 15 pounds which isn't too bad and makes it portably convenient to switch back and forth between indoor and outdoor use. After approx 100 hours of use I'm continually impressed with the performance and image quality of the unit.

Epson 3800 4K Projector highlights include color accuracy which is good to go right out of the box (hardly found any reason to tweak further with sources ranging from 4K blurays, 4k streaming services, PS4 & Xbox gaming) and the generously wide range of its vertical and horizontal lens shifting that provides ample placement options even in some tricky setup environments. Brightness is top notch as well with good display quality even in normal ambient lit rooms. HDR performance is amazing and at times makes us squint at its sheer brightness.

Epson 3800 4K Projector Review: Better than Buying A Large OLED TV

The Epson 3800 4K projector built in stereo (2x 10 watt speakers) sound really good to the point where we sometimes forego setup to external sounds sources and also appreciate the full sized, backlit remote control. We normally project this at 100" from a throw around 10.' If you're still rocking a 1080p and below projector this one is definitely worth an upgrade.

The Epson 3800 4K projector

This projector has all the bells and whistles that one would want in a modern projector. The projector accepts a wide range of placement from 4 feet to 30 feet and this should fit most use case scenarios. The picture was sharp, detailed and bright after calibrating. The fan noise was acceptable in a normal apartment.

Epson 3800 4K Projector Review: Better than Buying A Large OLED TV


Epson 3800 4K Projector Review: Better than Buying A Large OLED TV

I reviewed this against the Optoma uhd50x 2020 model and these two would be neck and neck competitors on paper. Unless you have a dedicated "bat cave" and are willing to put in a lot of extra work to get maybe 10% improvement in sharpness at the possible expense of light output, 4k60 input lag, ability to focus, contrast, color accuracy and color brightness, I found Epson 3800 projector to be superior to the Prtoma UHD50x.

Epson 3800 4K Projector Review: Better than Buying A Large OLED TV

Epson 3800 4K projector PROS

- image quality is top notch with 4K source and pixel shifting
- capable of up to 3000 lumen brightness, but you won't come anywhere near this once calibrated
- full 10 bit color gamut
- HDMI 2.0 for 18 Gb/s throughput
- low input lag (in the mid 20's ms), great for gaming
- built in 10W speakers an also capable of Bluetooth aptX output

Epson 3800 4K projector CONS

- Not "true" 4K but unless you have another few thousand you want to shell out, this is the best it gets
- No optical digital audio out, audio out is analog only using 3.5mm stereo jack
 
Epson 3800 projector isnt truly 100% 3840*2160 resolution
Epson 3800 projector's double HD and the mfg does not lie about this either. Double HD is an open ended statement though, and the shift is actually -Diagonal- which can do surprising things
Take a deep breath because it turns out pixels might not be so important...
 

Dramaqueen

Member
Still, the picture is GREAT...not LED/OLED bright but the size this thing projects at, the picture quality and the cinematic brightness (you really don’t need eye piercing brightness when watching in dark) really come together in a solid projector package.

1592291825048.png
 

waterloo

Member
Epson 3800 4K Projector is popular in recent months.
more and more users are considering upgading their home theater in 2020
 

waterloo

Member
Epson 3800 projector isnt truly 100% 3840*2160 resolution
Epson 3800 projector's double HD and the mfg does not lie about this either. Double HD is an open ended statement though, and the shift is actually -Diagonal- which can do surprising things
Take a deep breath because it turns out pixels might not be so important...
Wow, is it true?
now i have to think about it before pull the triger
 

Tyler123

Member
I owned Epson Home Cinema 3500 Projector for over 4 years and was very impressed with it's capabilities, however with all media coming out on 4k these days I felt like I might need to upgrade. True 4K projectors are too expensive for my budget so I was super excited for Epson to came out with a brand new 3200 model in my favorite series of projectors!
 
The Epson Home Cinema 3800 was a great options for a larger screen, but not paying the cost of most 4K displays over 65".

This projector was a different step for me as I typically just upgraded between one TV standard to the next as they became more affordable, but when I started looking at the next TV I wanted to go with something a little larger in display for that Cinema feel but also something I can use for gaming. You got some fairly inexpensive options out there but I ended up going with a projector.

The two HDMI inputs worked for me as most things either play directly from my UHD Blu Ray player or streamed from my console.
 

Wyatt21

Member
Don't rule out a projector for your next room video deliberations because you think TV's are getting bigger and cheaper and are basically the same size as a projector nowadays...I almost made that mistake and sooooo happy to have a projector.

I should note I have an Epson 4000 which came out about a year, year and a half prior to this unit and is very comparable to this new 3800. The resolution specs are virtually the same, but the 3800 offers some pros over the 4000 which are worth noting as well as some trade off's.
 

Tyler123

Member
Pros
Quiet
Large speakers for a projector
Bright enough to combat ambient light
Crisp image
HDR is subtle but helpful
3D Capable
Good contrast range for a projector
Includes extra powered USB port for streaming devices
Can be paired with Bluetooth speakers
Minimal dynamic iris pumping
Verified no rainbow effect

Cons
Style is hard to hide with décor
Slow HDCP negotiation
High power usage
WiFi not included
HDMI Link (CEC) doesn’t seem to work
 

reality

Member
HIGHLIGHTS
(1) 4K HDR Compatibility
(2) HDMI 2.0 Inputs
(3) 3000 ANSI Lumens
(4) Supports HDR10 and HLG content
(5) 3D Compatible
(6) 10W Built-In Speakers with Bluetooth and AptX Support

INSTALLATION & SET-UP
Installation and set-up was straight forward. I was fortunate in that the 3800 is updating/replacing my existing Epson 5040UBe projector, so I had most of the elements needed for use already installed. An extremely nice feature is that Epson has chosen to use the exact same screws and spacing for attaching this projector to a ceiling mount as it did with the previous generations of their products. Even with my 5040 being nearly twice the size and weight of this 3800, the ceiling mount brackets and screws lined up perfectly from one to the next.
 
Top